Granted Wishes
by sbishoff
Summary: Repost of Wishes Granted due to posting issues. This is a story of Victoria's struggle to accept Heath. It does contain supernatural elemetns.
1. Chapter 1

Notes: This is another look at Victoria's acceptance of Heath

Notes: This is another look at Victoria's acceptance of Heath. Eugene Barkley, the youngest son of Tom and Victoria, does exist, but is not present for the entire story. This story is alternate universe and contains elements of the supernatural.

Wishes Granted

By Susan Bishoff

Chapter 1 – Departure

It was a quiet Saturday afternoon in early fall, Victoria Barkley sat in the parlor holding onto her needlework project. As much as she tried to concentrate on her current project, she found it nearly impossible. Her mind kept wandering off to the chaos that had taken up residence in her home. It had been three weeks since Heath Thomson arrived at the Barkley Ranch and ruined the peace they had finally reestablished following the murder of her husband Tom, six years ago.

The twenty-four year old blond had quickly claimed to be her late husband's illegitimate son. Victoria's mind just as quickly rebelled against the thought that her precious Tom could do such a thing with another woman no less. But a few days later, when she saw Heath riding back to the ranch behind her sons, she could no longer deny what he claimed was true. Heath bore too many of Tom's characteristics, both physical and behavioral, not to be his son.

Although her mind could acknowledge that he was truly Tom's son, and entitled to all, as her own children were, Victoria's heart could not accept the truth. She knew Jarrod had been right when he argued that as Tom's son Heath had a right to be on the ranch, and live in the house. She could not begrudge the young man that right. She tried not to treat him cruelly, but was only able to maintain a cool detachment from him. Anything else was just too painful.

Heath looked and acted so much like Tom. Every time Victoria laid eyes on him, she thought of Tom. But her thoughts were not of the wonderful years of marriage they had shared together, but were filled with doubt as to whether he truly loved her. Knowing he strayed once, she began to wonder if he had been unfaithful at other times during their marriage. She searched her memory for signs that it hadn't all been a lie; that Tom was truly the man she believed him to be in her heart. All her doubts were clouding her mind, and because of her pain and confusion, she no longer found peace and happiness in the treasured memories of their time together.

The matriarch wished her husband were here to put her doubts to rest, but she knew that wishing for something that could not be was not helping anything. She was angry that Tom had kept this from her. She had always believed there had been no secrets between them only to discover that there had indeed been one—a huge one. She wondered what other secrets he kept from her. She wanted to believe that he did so because he did not want to hurt her and the children, but that thought gave her no comfort.

Her children were having a difficult time as well, but because of her own pain, Victoria found herself unable to help them. She felt they would come to terms with the truth on their own, just as she knew she must.

Victoria was troubled by the young blond himself. She knew he was a nice, polite young man, and knew that under different circumstances, she would have liked him. She also knew that he was struggling to fit in; she had often seen the sadness and hurt on his face: pain that her own family had caused. In the intervening weeks there had been a few occasions when she found herself drawn to him, and wanting to ease his pain. She recognized it as her maternal instincts: she wanted to ease the young man's suffering, but before she could act upon it, she would remember why he was here, and it reawakened her pain and prevented her from reaching out to him. The part of her that was hurting felt that he deserved to suffer for the pain he was causing the rest of the family. After all, he'd brought it upon himself by coming to Stockton and the Barkley Ranch.

The small woman could not remember a time when she was filled with so many conflicting emotions. She was angry, sad, confused, frightened, betrayed, and lost. All these emotions had replaced all the joy, happiness and peace that had previously filled her heart and home; all because one young man had chosen to come destroy her family.

She gave up the pretense of working on the needlework, and walked out to her flower garden. She hoped that working with the plants would keep her busy, and not allow her to dwell on the situation.

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Later that evening, Victoria was thankful that this evening's meal had passed in relative peace. At least there had not been a loud outburst from Nick, as had been the case on most nights recently. She had noticed how quiet Jarrod had been, and saw the quick glances he kept throwing toward Heath. Heath sat pushing the food around on his plate, and didn't respond when Nick threw insults his way. His head was partially lowered so his face was mostly hidden from view, but she did not need to see his face to know his eyes were full of sadness. She knew she should say something to Nick to get him to leave the blonde alone, but could not seem to intercede on his behalf. She was grateful when Jarrod distracted Nick from Heath, and the rest of the meal passed without incident.

Later, she smiled as she walked with her children to enjoy a quiet evening. This time of evening was one of the few times of day that held any semblance to life before Heath's arrival. She knew that it was due largely to the fact that Heath did not spend the evening in the parlor with the rest of the family. Although she knew it was unfair to exclude him, she couldn't help feeling grateful that he did not intrude on the time with her children.

Nick did not have a date this evening, and had agreed to play cards with Audra. The matriarch watched as the pair got settled at the table, and prepared to play.

Victoria was preparing to work on her needleworkagain, when she saw Jarrod approach Heath at the staircase. She could not hear what was said, but a few minutes later she saw Jarrod Lead Heath into the study. She knew her oldest son had done some soul searching this afternoon, and believed he was ready to accept Heath as his brother. She had mixed feelings over that development, but had decided she would stay out of her children's relationship with Heath. He was Tom's son, entitling him to part of the Barkley legacy, which included his brothers and sister. But as she watched them enter the study she couldn't help feeling a little betrayed, as if by accepting Heath, Jarrod was saying Tom was not wrong to have the affair. She pushed those thoughts away as she told herself again that Heath was Jarrod's brother, and Jarrod had a right to know him if he wanted.

She sat and worked on her needlework, angrily pushing and pulling the needle and thread throught the stiff fabric, while listening to Audra rattle on about her day. When Audra wondered aloud what Jarrod wanted with Heath. Victoria was quick to tell her pointedly that if Jarrod wanted her to know then he would tell her.

Victoria could also hear Nick grumbling away while he played cards with his sister about Heath perhaps fooling Jarrod, because Nick knew Heath was lying. She was tired of reminding her hot headed son that Heath was his brother, so she said nothing. The constant attention on Heath and the truth of his parentage was keeping her feelings raw, and she was beginning to wonder if it would ever get better.

She understood her children's feelings toward Heath. Audra had been young when her father died, and in her eyes he was the knight in shining armor that always kept her safe. She idolized him and felt he could do no wrong. Audra had a great sense of loyalty to her father's memory; and would not allow anything to tarnish it—not even the truth.

Victoria found her own feelings reflected by her loud middle son. Nick had worked beside his father for years before his death, and was extremely close to his father. He had placed his father on a high pedestal as a role model to live up to—one that would never do anything as hurtful as have an affair. Nick was also angry because he felt he knew his father better than anyone, and would have known if his father was capable of committing such an act. Heath's arrival here at their ranch made Nick feel that there was a part of his father he didn't know. Nick was hurt him deeply and the fact still made him angry. The only way he could keep his father on the pedestal and not feel betrayed by the secret his father had kept from him was to deny Heath and his claim. And like anything Nick did, he did this loudly, and physically. He felt he had to protect his father's memory and his family from this untruth.

Victoria was not surprised that Eugene seemed to be willing to accept Heath, although she knew he was still angry. Eugene was younger than the other boys and his memories of his father were good ones. But he had been partially raised by Jarrod, who instilled in him the ability to look at all the facts first, and then draw a conclusion. He hadn't completely embraced Heath as a brother, but was willing to think about the idea.

Just as Eugene did not surprise her, neither did Jarrod's being the first to completely accept Heath as a brother. Jarrod was older, and more experienced in life. He could see the signs of their father in Heath, and being a thinking man, he would soon realize the truth. She also knew he was a man who believed in responsibility, and felt the need to accept Heath.

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An hour later, Jarrod joined them in the parlor, and informed them that Heath had retired for the evening.

Upon receiving that information, Victoria found she was finally able to relax. Jarrod distracted both of her children from her, and allowed her to push all thoughts of Heath from her mind, and concentrate on her needlework. She heard Jarrod tenderly tell his sister that what transpired in the study was between him and Heath, and then knowing that to say anything to Nick would result in an argument, challenged him to a game.

Victoria spent the rest of the evening listening to her family laugh and enjoy themselves. As she did, she was reminded that this was what it was like before Heath came into their lives. The laughter had faded with his arrival.

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It was early afternoon, and Victoria sat in the parlor, with her needlework in her hands. She was not even attempting to work on it, but was instead grasping it like a lifeline. Her tears fell from her eyes as she remembered the previous evening's meal.

The past week had passed with little change. The only thing Victoria saw that was different was that Jarrod was more supportive of Heath, and his place in the family. Jarrod had been very busy working on his court case he had coming up the next week, and thus had not been present at all of the family suppers. But the few that he had, he had openly supported Heath, and even butted heads with Nick over the issue.

That's just what happened the night before. Everyone had taken their places, their houseman, Silas had served the meal, grace had been said, and the family started eating.

Everyone was quietly eating their meal when until Jarrod broke the silence. "Heath how was your day?" he asked.

"Okay," Heath had answered. His tone led Victoria to believe otherwise, but decided if he wasn't going to say, she wasn't going to push.

"Well, it would have been better if you would have done what I told you," Nick replied. He was angry, and not about to let it go.

Heath said nothing as he knew it would do no good.

Jarrod understood Heath's silence but didn't want him to be pushed around. The lawyer spoke up, and said, "If Heath didn't do something that you wanted, I'm sure he had a good reason."

"Oh, he had a good reason all right. He's not a good liar. He may claim to be a Barkley, but he's nothing but a lying bastard," Nick stated.

"Nick, we've been through this already. We decided that he told the truth," Jarrod started to say.

"No, YOU decided that it was true. I know that Father would never do anything to bring shame to our family. Just because his mother whored around, and laid with some man, doesn't make that man our father. I don't care what you say. He's someone's bastard all right, but not our Father's!" Nick replied his voice and body language making it apparent that he was ready to come to blows over the matter.

Jarrod wasn't happy with the way the conversation was going, and said, "Nick, calm down."

Through the entire argument, Heath had remained silent. Victoria knew he was trying not to cause a scene at the table, and was accepting comments that he otherwise would taken offense. She had seen the cuts and bruises on his face as well as Nick's. She knew he would not let these kind of comments slide like he did in her presence. She also saw the intense reddening of his face, and his hands were clinched at his side. She could see he was fighting for his self-control.

As the arguing continued, Victoria became more concerned over this ongoing development. The last thing she wanted to see was her children fighting over Heath. Her family had always stood together to face any obstacle or trial. But now, the family was becoming divided, with members on both sides ready to fight. She knew her sons, and knew that neither of them would budge from their position. She did not know how to solve the conflict.

Audra was trying to sort out her feelings about Heath, and the constant fighting upset her. She wasn't sure how she felt about Heath, but she didn't like Nick saying awful things like he was to him tonight. She also didn't know how to feel about Jarrod's new position as Heath's defender. That evening she had been quieter than usual, and after a few minutes, she broke down in tears. She stood quickly, and looked at her brothers, and yelled, "Stop it! I can't stand to see you fighting like this all the time!"

Nick and Jarrod fell silent at their little sister's outburst. They were both instantly sorry to see her so upset, and the tears that were running down her face.

Before either of them could say anything, Audra turned to Heath, and said, "See what you've done. They never fought until you came here. They hate each other now and it's all your fault! I hate you!" She then ran from the room sobbing harshly.

Heath had looked up when Audra spoke, his eyes, Victoria thought, could possibly hold no more sadness, suddenly seemed to overflow with it. After Audra had left the table, Heath placed his napkin by his plate. He rose from his seat, and said quietly, "I'm sorry but I'm not very hungry. I think I'll just go on to bed." He quietly walked from the room, leaving behind a nearly full plate.

For a moment as she looked at his untouched plate, Victoria was concerned that Heath wasn't eating properly. She was also worried about the lost look in his eyes just before he walked out of the room. But she quickly told herself he was a grown man, who could take care of himself. Her responsibility was to her children, not this bastard of her late husband, who were in need of guidance. As soon as Heath had left the room, they began to argue again.

"Nicholas! Jarrod!" she said to get their attention.

Both young men stopped talking uponring their mother's voice. They looked to her and waited for her to speak.

"I understand that you don't agree about Heath being here…," she started to say, and was interrupted by Nick.

"You're damn…" he started to say, but saw the disapproving look from his mother, he quickly corrected, "You're darn right I don't agree with him. I can't believe he believes that crazy claim of his. I thought you were supposed to be the smart one having gone to college."

"Nick, if you'd just look at him with open eyes you'd see he is our brother," Jarrod defended.

"That's enough!" Victoria said, forcefully. She gave them both a stern glare to warn them not to interrupt her again. "Now, as I was saying, the two of you are not going to fight over this matter any more at my supper table any more. Is that understood?"

"But Mother," Nick started to argue.

"No, Nick. You saw how upset you made your sister was this evening. She is having her own problems dealing with the situation, and all this fighting isn't helping her. I can also tell you I can't take too much more of it myself," Victoria stated. She rose from her seat, and said, "I'm going to go check on your sister, and I want you to agree not to argue about this at the table. If you feel the need to discuss it, then do so in the study, specifically out of the range of mine and Audra's hearing. Have I made myself clear?" she demanded, waiting for the response from her sons.

"Yes, Mother," Jarrod said without hesitation. She could easily see the remorse on his face for the pain he had caused his sister.

Nick glanced at Jarrod before turning to look at his mother. He nodded, and said, "Yes, Mother."

"Good," Victoria replied, and walked from the room.

She found Audra in her room. Victoria spent the next hour trying to comfort her daughter. Victoria assured her that the fighting was going to stop. Once she felt sure that Audra was no longer upset, Victoria retired to her room to be alone.

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That is how she came to be sitting in her parlor with tears on her face. Victoria felt at a complete loss as to how to help her family. For the first time in a long time she did not know what to do, and the one person she always felt she could turn to was now the problem. _Oh, Tom, how could you do this to your family? _she thought and felt the, now familiar rise of her temper. She wiped her face as she heard the door open, and the quiet steps cross the foyer. She knew instantly that it was Heath.

Victoria looked up in time to see Heath standing there looking at her with eyes so like her Tom. As he looked at her, all she could see was Tom, and thought how it wasn't fair that out of his sons, it was his bastard that looked the most like him. Her feelings of betrayal had reached their peak, and she did not want any sympathy from the one who caused all her heartache. She knew he had noticed her tears, but she did not care what he thought.

Heath lowered his head, and said quietly, "I'm sorry I hurt you ma'am. If I'd known it would have hurt you all so much, I wouldn't have come here."

"What did you think would happen? Did you think we would all rejoice at the news Tom had been unfaithful?" Victoria questioned. She couldn't believe he could stand here and act as if he hadn't known what would happen, and it angered her even more.

"I don't know what I thought. I was angry to find out who he was, and came here without thinking how it would affect you and the rest of the family. I'm sorry for the pain I caused you," he answered.

"Sorry! NOW you're sorry. You didn't care how this would affect us when you came here to destroy the memory of my husband and my children's father. Why should it be any different now?" Victoria asked. Her anger had found a target, and now she was going to unleash it.

"I know it was wrong of me to only be concerned over what I wanted. I didn't know it would hurt you so much," he stated, his eyes betraying just how much he himself was suffering.

Victoria saw the torment in the young blonde's eyes, but it did nothing to diffuse her anger. In fact, seeing his eyes, so like her beloved Tom's, seemed to incite her more. She took a deep breath to say more, but was stopped by Heath's next sentence.

"I've already hurt you so much, and my being here is only hurting you more, so I think I should just leave," he said, and met her gaze directly without fear of incrimination.

Along with the sadness and loneliness that she saw in his eyes, there was something else; something that she could not identify. Victoria ignored the feelings it created in her, and let her anger speak for her. "Do you really think that will undo all the damage you have done?" she asked, and before he could answer, went on. "Because leaving will not undo what you have done to this family. My children can never again hold their father in the same esteem as they did before you came here, because he has fallen from the pedestal they placed him upon. They also cannot trust the lessons he taught them. He emphasized loyalty, honor, standing up for your mistakes, and taking responsibility for those mistakes. Now we find that he had a son he did nothing about; one he did not even acknowledge. That's what you've done to my children. All because you were only thinking of what you wanted. The best I can hope for them is that one day they will accept the fact their father made a tragic mistake." She knew her words were like daggers striking the young man where he hurt the most, but in her anger could not even see the result of her words. It was as if once the words started coming, they were purposefully trying to hurt him as she had been hurt; and Victoria found that she had no desire to stop.

"That's why I think I should go. If I'm not here to remind them…," he started to say, and was cut off by Victoria.

"Yes, maybe then I can accept that the man I loved with all my heart, who swore until the day he died that there was no one before me in his heart, lied to me. But seeing you, and knowing he slept with another woman, and fathered a child, I can never again be sure that his love for me was as true as he vowed. I'll forever question whether he loved another woman in secret, or longed to hold another woman when he was holding me," she said, her voice harsh, and full of her pain.

Neither said anything for a moment, and then Victoria said softly, "I wish you had never come here."

Heath lowered his head, and turned to leave.

As he left the room, Victoria heard his quietly whispered, "So do I." She sat on the settee, and shook from the emotion she had expended. She hadn't realized that much time had passed until she heard the quiet footsteps on the stairs, and then the quietly spoken, "I'm sorry," before Heath exited the house.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction and is not for profit.

Authot's notes: I'm sorry it took so long to post the next chapter. I've been having problems with my internet and just got them resolved. Thanks for the reviews of the first chapter. I hope you enjoy this one as well.

Chapter 2 – Wish Granted

Victoria heard the door click shut behind Heath, and the sound in the suddenly silent room pulled her from her thoughts. She walked to the French doors, and watched as Heath saddled his horse, and then rode away.

When she could no longer see him, she walked back to the settee. Once she was seated again, she was suddenly overcome by a feeling that she had made a mistake. Becoming angry at her unusual self doubt, she reminded herself that it was for the best that he was gone. Now she and her children could try to put this awful experience behind them.

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That evening, as the family started passing the platters around, Jarrod asked, "Nick, where's Heath?"

"How should I know; it's not my job to watch him," the hot headed cowboy answered. After a moment, he added, "I told him I wanted the fence in the North Pasture finished today. He probably lazed around all day, and now has to fix it."

Before the conversation could to go any further, Victoria spoke up. "Heath's gone."

"Gone, what do you mean?" Audra asked.

"I mean he came in to tell me this afternoon that he thought it was best if he left," her mother answered.

"But Mother, didn't you try to stop him?" Jarrod asked.

Victoria grew angry at the question, and said, "No, Jarrod, I did not. He is a grown man, and is free to leave if he chooses."

The lawyer knew his question had upset his mother, and said, "I'm sorry, Mother. I didn't mean it to sound that way."

The matriarch could see the remorse on her eldest son's face; she replied, "It's all right, Jarrod. I guess I'm just a little touchy over the subject of Heath Thomson."

Nick had been silent throughout their exchange, but now leaned back with a huge smile on his face. He looked to Jarrod, and asked, "Now, are you finally going to face the truth?"

"What truth, Nick? That Heath was treated so badly that he felt it was best to leave his home?" Jarrod countered.

Audra remembered how she treated Heath over the course of the past month. She knew that she hadn't really followed through with trying to get to know Heath; she felt bad that she made him feel unwelcome. "He left because I didn't accept him," she said, her eyes filling with tears.

"Now look what you've done," Nick said angrily at Jarrod. Then toward his sister, he said, "Audra, don't cry. He left because he knew we knew he lied; he decided, for himself that it was best to leave before he was found out."

"Nick…," Jarrod started to say, but stopped when he saw his mother raise her hand to silence him.

"Nick, Jarrod, please, that's enough. Audra, Heath didn't leave because of how you or anyone else treated him. He left because he felt he had hurt us too much; that by being here he was just adding to our discomfort," Victoria explained. For the first time since her confrontation that afternoon, she wondered how much being treated such as he was had prompted his decision as well. Deciding it really didn't matter now since he was gone, she felt the best thing to do was tell them what he had said.

Nick scoffed at the comment. "Sure that's what he'd say. It's not like he's going to admit he lied," he said. He knew the young cowboy was up to no good, and this just proved it.

Jarrod wasn't about to let this go so easily, and said, "Nick, Heath was Father's son, and I think it's a shame when his own brothers don't make him feel welcome. I'm not putting all the blame on you, because I know I didn't treat him as I should either." As he thought about the young man who had chosen to walk away over hurting his new family, he was overcome with a feeling of pride that he was his brother. He also hoped that Heath would return to the ranch, but felt in his heart that the blonde would never come back.

Audra had just started to accept Heath as her brother, but it was Nick's steadfast belief that Heath wasn't who he said he was, had her wondering if she could have been wrong. "How does Heath leaving prove that he lied?" she asked.

"Because he knew it was just a matter of time before he was found out; he decided it would be better to go now. Anyone who was really Father's son wouldn't give up so easily; he would have fought for what was rightfully his. Heath got what he could, and took off before he was exposed as a liar as well as a bastard," Nick explained.

Victoria knew that Jarrod was about to intercede and said, "All right, arguing about it isn't going to change the fact that Heath is gone. I think the best thing would be for us to go on with business as usual. That's why he left, so we could go on with our lives."

Jarrod nodded his head in acknowledgement, and turned his attention to his plate.

Nick looked as if he wanted to say more, but seeing the look on his mother's face, decided it would be best not to do so.

Audra met her mother's gaze, and tried to return her mother's smile. She reached her hand to her mother, and clasped it tightly.

Victoria returned Audra's squeeze to reassure her daughter; she released it after a few minutes and resumed her meal.

The remainder of the meal was spent in silence with each person lost in their own thoughts. Once they had finished their meal, the family moved to the parlor, but none of them seemed up to their usual activities. Jarrod and Nick began a game billiards, but neither was concentrating on the game. The two ladies of the house were unable to keep their minds on their needlework.

Soon, Audra and Victoria retired early; followed shortly by Nick. Jarrod went to the study to think for a while before he headed to his own room.

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Victoria hadn't gone straight to bed. She spent some time in her room thinking. It was late, and everyone else had gone to bed for the night so she decided she should also. She put on her robe, and went to the water closet.

On the way back to her room, she stopped at the room that had been Heath's. The door was open to the long hallway and without thinking too much about what she was doing, and she walked inside. The moonlight from the open drapes cast shadows over the room. She closed the door, turned up the lamp, and looked around the room. The thing that struck her the most was how bare it appeared after Heath's short stay there. The room was exactly as it had been before when she first showed Heath to it those long weeks ago. Even the chair that he had moved in front of the window was back at the desk where it had been. _You'd never know that someone stayed in here as bare as it is. Was everything that he owned in that small pack he took with him? It couldn't have held more than a few changes of clothes._ Victoria thought as she wondered about the young man who was no longer there.

"No, it's best that he's gone. Now we can forget the pain he caused, and remember Tom for the man he was," she said aloud as she tried to dismiss her concerns. She quickly left the room, leaving it as she found it, and returned to her room.

As she pulled the covers up, she wished Heath had never exposed his secret to them and never come to the ranch.

As she drifted to sleep she thought she heard a voice say, "You should be careful what you wish for."

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A few hours later, Victoria woke up for no reason, and saw a faint light at the foot of the bed. She sat up as the light faded to be replaced by the image a woman. The woman was young, thin with long golden hair, wearing a simple cotton dress. Victoria did not recognize the woman, not did she give any indication as to who she was or where she came from. As she continued to sit there, Victoria thought she must be dreaming.

The woman smiled at her briefly before saying, "Your wish has been heard, and will be granted."

Victoria had no idea what the woman was talking about, so she asked, "Who are you, and what do you mean?

The woman replied, "Who I am is not important. I am merely a messenger sent to inform you that your wish has been granted. As of this moment, your family's life will return to how it was before Heath Thomson came to the ranch. Everyone's memory of Heath's existence will be wiped away, and life will continue as if he never was. You will be the only person to remember that he exists."

"Why do I have to remember when everyone else will forget," Victoria questioned.

"It is important for you to remember so you understand the enormity of what has been lost," the woman answered.

Victoria contemplated the woman's statement, thinking, _I know what was lost; my and my children's faith in Tom. The belief that we came first in his life is what we lost_. Before she can ask any further questions, the woman at the foot of the bed fades from sight.

The matriarch of the Barkley family sat for a few more minutes pondering the woman and her words. She decided it had to be a dream brought on by her desire to take away her children's pain. With that thought in mind, she lay back down, soon she was fast asleep.

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Victoria woke the next morning at her usual time. She began to get ready to greet her family. As she dressed, she thought of all the upheaval from the day before, and hoped her children would soon be able to put the whole experience behind them.

A few minutes later, Victoria entered the dining room. She nodded a greeting to Silas as he prepared the table for breakfast. "Good morning, Silas," she said.

"Good Morning, Mrs. Barkley. Breakfast is just about ready," the black man replied.

"That's fine," she responded distractedly. _He doesn't seem as upset this morning as I thought he'd be. I know he had liked Heath, and last night he was very sad to hear he left. But he's always put his service to this family, and my children before himself. He's probably just not saying anything to make it easier on us,_ she thought as she looked around the room. She noticed the place setting and chair that Heath used at the table had been removed. Victoria believed it was another way Silas was trying to help the family recover from the trying time they had been through by removing evidence of Heath.

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Several minutes later, Audra came sweeping into the room. "Good morning, Mother," She said cheerfully, and kissed her mother's cheeks before sitting in her seat at the table.

"Good morning, Audra. Did you sleep well?" Victoria inquired of her only daughter, studying the young woman's face for any signs of anxiety.

"Yes, I did. What about you, Mother?" Audra asked in return.

"I slept very well." The matriarch could not find any sign of the tension that had been present in her daughter for the past month.

Nick and Jarrod entered the room together chatting as if there had been no ill will between them.

"I've got to go to town this morning and pick up the rest of the supplies to fix the fence in the North Pasture," Nick said as kissed his mother's cheek before he sat in his seat. He looked at the women at the table, and continued, "Good Morning, Mother, Audra."

"Good Morning Nick, Jarrod," Audra replied.

"Good Morning, Ladies," Jarrod said as he walked to his mother's side, and gave her a kiss. He gave his sister a chaste kiss on the cheek as well before he walked to the other end of the table to take his place. "How about joining me for lunch if you can wait until then to get the supplies," the lawyer suggested.

"I just might do that. There are some other things I can do this morning," Nick replied. He began to fill his plate.

"Nick," Victoria said, and when he looked in her direction, added, "Since you seem to be in a hurry this morning, you can say the grace."

Nick blushed at being caught, and said, "Sorry, Mother." He took her hand, and said, "Heavenly Father, we thank you for this meal we have before us, and for the family gathered around the table. Amen."

The rest of the family chorused _Amen_, and the next few minutes were spent passing the platters of food around the table.

Victoria watched her family as they ate. No one had mentioned Heath or his absence. If fact, it seemed to her that they didn't even miss him. They were talking and teasing one another as they always had.

Jarrod was watching his mother, and noticed that she seemed very distracted. "Mother, is everything all right?" he questioned.

Victoria was pulled from her musings by her son's question. She saw Audra and Nick look to her in concern as well. She didn't want to concern them, especially when they seemed to have put it behind them. She said, "I'm fine, Jarrod. I was just thinking about my plans for today. I was a little distracted."

Reassured that all was well with their mother, Nick and Jarrod went back to making their plans for later while Audra told her mother her plans for the day.

00000

After everyone had gone for the day, Victoria walked to the parlor to think. She sat on the settee, thinking about her children's behavior that morning. She recalled the dream from the night before. _What if it wasn't a dream? The children don't seem upset any more. The woman said they wouldn't remember Heath or anything that had happened. It seems to be true. I don't know why we were given this chance, but I'm grateful for it. I'd rather forget about this unfortunate incidence, but I can live with the memories as long as my children are spared the heartache,_ she thought as she wondered over the circumstances.

00000

As the days passed, the ranch continued to operate as it always had.

The only change was in Victoria herself. To her children, she was the same loving mother they had always known. She was the only one who held a dark secret.

The matriarch found that her thoughts would sometimes wander to the young man who had impacted her family so completely. She would see one of the horses, and remember the tender touch Heath had used to calm the frightened animal. She would hear one of the hands laugh at something and recall the one time she had heard Heath's laughter and saw his shy smile.

She was once again reminded of how much he looked and sounded like her Tom. It was during those days, that her heart began to find peace with the knowledge of the affair. She mused over they love they had shared and the love she still had for him in her heart. She could almost hear his words of endearment and promises of love, echoing in her memory. Soon she realized that she believed in their love again.

She gave credit to where credit was due: this was only possible because Heath was no longer here to constantly remind her of the affair. She is able to admit to herself that she liked the parts of the handsome young man that reminded her of Tom. When she saw the similarities, it was as if she hadn't completely lost Tom. But those comforts were not worth the pain Heath had caused Tom's other children.

As the days passed, she found that her feelings about Heath were confused. She remembered the tender, caring person he was, and wondered where he was and if he was okay. But she still could not let go of the belief that it was better that he was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: These characters don't belong to me. This writing is purely for entertainment purposes only.

Author's notes: Here is the next chapter of the story. I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 3 - Answers

It had been two weeks since Victoria's wish had been granted. She was happy that her children were once again happy and secure in the knowledge of what their father represented.

It was about two o'clock in the afternoon, and she was feeling a little tired, so she decided to take a nap before dinner.

As she prepared for her nap, her thought turned to Heath, and she wondered what could have possessed him to come to the ranch. He had to have known it would hurt them. She gazed at Tom's picture and wondered, if he had loved her as much as he said he did, how he could have cheated on her with another woman. She lay down on the bed, with thoughts of Heath, Tom, and the woman who was Heath's mother, the woman her husband had bedded, swirling around in her brain.

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A short while later, Victoria awoke to find the same woman as before at the foot of her bed. Victoria asked, "Why are you here now? You said my wish was granted. Are you here to make me forget?" She got out of bed and slowly approached the woman.

The woman smiled and said, "Yes, your wish was granted. And no, I'm not here to make you forget."

When the woman offered no further information, Mrs. Barkley asked, "Then why are you here?"

"I'm here to help you get the answers to your questions," the woman offers.

"Questions, what questions?" the matriarch asked, not sure what the woman means.

"You wanted to know why Heath had come here when it would hurt your family. I'm going to show you," the woman answered.

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Their surroundings suddenly shifted, and Victoria and the apparition were standing in a small house. The first thing she noticed was how clean and simple the house and furnishings were. The next thing she noticed was a very pretty young woman tending a man in the bed. Upon taking a closer look, Victoria realized it was Tom. She realized the young woman helping Tom must be Leah. She turned to the woman accompanying her, and said, "I don't want to see this."

"You must. In order to understand how Heath could choose to come to you when it would hurt you, you have to understand what he made him the man he is," the woman responded.

"THIS has nothing to do with Heath," Victoria said, her tone clearly showed her distress.

"Yes, it is true that what happened here in this house before he was born has nothing to do with his decision to come to you, but it is something you must see to find peace. As you can see, they can not see or hear us," the woman answered.

Victoria could do nothing but watch as Leah tended Tom. It didn't take her long to realize Leah was young, probably a little over twenty. Her light brown hair was long and beautiful, and Leah usually kept it pulled back in a ponytail. Her big brown eyes and small round face clearly showed her care and concern for her patient. Victoria watched restlessly as Leah tenderly tended to Tom, and urged him to do his best and get well.

Victoria watched spellbound as Tom slowly opened his eyes, looking around the room. He doesn't seem to recognize anything in it; his face began to reflect his confusion.

Tom Barkley, although he doesn't realize that is his name, attempts to rise from the bed, but Leah enters the room at that moment, tries to stop him. She runs over to him, saying, "You need to stay in bed. You've been hurt, and need to rest."

She helps him lie back down in the bed.

Tom's uncertainty of the situation is reflected as he asked Leah, "Who are you? Do I know you?"

"My name is Leah, and no, you don't know me. I work in the hotel, and I found you in the alley one night. Someone had beaten you very badly. I brought you home to help you get better," she explained.

Tom thought about what Leah had told him, but could not remember anything about being beaten. In fact, he found he could not remember anything. He looked into the concerned eyes before him, and said, "I can't remember. I can't remember anything. I don't know who I am." His voice began to reflect his growing discomfort.

Leah placed her hand on his arm, and said, "It'll be okay. You had a very bad head injury, and I'm sure your memory will come back soon. I found this in the alley with you, and figured it must be yours." She reached over on the nearby dresser, and picked up a wallet. She handed it to Tom.

He looked at the wallet, seeing the name "Tom" stamped on it, he considered this information for a few moments and the name right. He looked up, and gave his caretaker a tentative smile, and said, "I guess my name is Tom. Thank you Leah for going out of your way to help me."

Leah smiled at his brave attempt to accept his current situation, and replied, "You're welcome and I'll go get you some broth."

Victoria watched as the scene unfolded before her eyes; she knew he had survived the traumatic head injury and found herself inexplicably worrying that Tom would die. When Tom first opened his eyes, she was overjoyed. Her Tom was going to be all right. But her heart plummeted the next minute when he revealed that he had lost his memory. When he had returned after being gone those months, she knew he had been hurt, but never suspected that it had been this severe. She was shook by how close she had come to losing Tom, and was grateful he had survived to return to her.

00000

As Victoria watched the days pass, she could see the growing attraction between Tom and Leah. Before long it was obvious to her that Leah loved Tom very much, and that Tom was developing feelings for her as well. When Tom kissed Leah for the first time, Victoria felt as if her heart would break.

When Tom took Leah's hand and led her to the back room, Victoria was sure that what had been left of her heart was now shattered. _I know of the affair now. Why do I have to watch this? What can possibly be gained from me watching my husband with the other woman? _Victoria thought as felt her faith in her husband die again.

The woman standing beside her offered no answers. She just stood there as if offering silent support.

The next scene Victoria saw was Tom asleep in the house, while the others were out. A short while he woke, and sat up, his face contorted in pain. As he lowers his hands from his face, she hears him whisper, "Oh God, Victoria. What have I done?" The horror on his face wiped away any doubt that he had truly forgotten his family. She watched as he paced the small room, and mumbled to himself about the mistake he had made.

Victoria watched while Tom quickly packed his saddle bags, and prepared to leave. As he gripped the doorknob, she thought, _No Tom, not that way. She loves you, she deserves better than being left like this._ She relaxed when she saw him release the knob, walk dejectedly to the table, and sit down. He looked so lost that Victoria wanted to go to him and ease his troubles. As she stood watching the man she had loved for all those years, she felt her love recover. She understood his actions, knowing now, he had not set out to hurt anyone. She now understood how her husband had come to father another child, and finally felt the remainder of her doubt and anger subside.

A few hours later, Victoria watched as Tom explained to a silent Leah that his memory had returned. He told her he was married with two small boys. He told Leah that he loved his wife dearly, and that he would have never betrayed his vows had he not suffered from amnesia. He told the devastated woman he needed to return to his family, and that he is very sorry for hurting her such as he did and taking advantage of her in the state he'd been in. He told her that he could have very well loved her forever, but he had other obligations that he must attend to; that she was wonderful, caring person and that he would miss her dearly.

Leah walked him to the door stoically, and watched him leave the house they had shared for those precious few months.. The entire time Tom had told her about his family, and now as she watched him ride away, she did not shed a tear. It is only once he is out of sight and she reentered the house, and lets her heart to break. She sat dejectedly on the bed, crying for the dreams she has lost.

As Victoria watched the scene play out, her heart went out to the young woman. She knew what it was to love Tom, but she had had him for many years. She could not imagine how much it would have hurt to love him as Leah did, and then watch him leave to return to his other life.

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The scene shifted again, and Victoria found herself in the same house, but months later. At the table sat a very pregnant Leah, fingering an unaddressed letter.

Another woman, who Victoria had learned was a close friend who now lived with Leah, walked over, and sat beside the younger woman. "Leah, why don't you mail that letter? You wrote it, why not mail it and tell him about his baby?" the woman asked, putting an arm around Leah.

"I can't Rachel," Leah stated simply.

"Why not?" Rachel asked.

"I can't because he loves his wife and children, and telling him won't change anything. All it will do is hurt the ones who had no part in what happened. I love him too much to hurt them," Leah replied.

Rachel studied her friend for a long moment, but said nothing. She knew she couldn't win this argument, but had felt the need to try again.

Leah looked to her friend, and said, "I'll raise the baby myself. He'll always be a reminder of the only man I have ever loved and the only man I'll ever love. Although it wasn't meant to be for us to live together as husband and wife, he, still, gave me this precious gift, and I will always treasure this baby boy." Her hands had moved to caress her swollen stomach where her precious child grew.

Rachel smiled at Leah's insistence that it was a boy. She had been calling it "he" since she realized she was with child. "Oh, Leah, do you have any idea how hard it will to have and raise a baby alone?" Rachel posed. She didn't want to see this gentle creature destroyed by the cruelty of the world.

"I don't care. He's worth any pain or difficulty," Leah replied, her face set with determination.

"All right, I'll not ask again. I just wanted to be sure you know what to expect. Hannah and I will be here for you, of course," Rachel stated.

"I know. Thank you," Leah said, and hugged her friend.

Victoria felt some begrudging respect for the young woman. She suddenly realized that Heath's mother was very strong and accepted the possibility Leah had acted in the Barkley's best interest when she took on the burden that would scare anyone without complaint. And her question was answered on whether Tom knew about his son, and if not why. It was because of her and her children that Leah never told Tom about Heath.


End file.
